Originally Posted by
darkmagus
I've always swapped my brake levers because of riding motorcycles/atvs all my life. Although, my last 2 road bikes I've left the way they are and I've gotten somewhat used to it. I may end up switching them out when I rewrap the bars even though I don't really ride motorcycles anymore. I'm just afraid that in a last second emergency situation my brain would revert to those years of instinct.
This bike was owned by a local gentleman who bought it new in 1955 and rode it regularly until he was in his seventies... it has a right hand front brake.
His death was thought to have been caused when he bought a swanky new racing bike and ended up crashing and going otb. He was a very experienced and skilled rider / racer and his friend (who facilitated the sale of the bike to me) was sure that the crash was caused by his friend forgetting which brake was which and this confusion caused the fatal crash.
When I got this bike I switched all my bikes over to a right hand front (my fixed gear bikes have always been set up this way) and now have to pay attention to the brakes when I am test riding repaired bikes at the shop as right for me = front.
My 1948 Rudge (English) also came with a right hand front (rod) brake and most English bikes of this era I see here are similarly set up as many were brought here from across the pond.
I always have to warn anyone who rides my bikes that the brake setup is reversed and many folks here have also adopted this reverse setup.